# McClellands Matured Virginia #27 ('01)



## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

*Place & Date* = my truck, 15Oct07
*Tobacco* = McC Matured VA #27 ('01)
*Type* = broken flake
*Cut Width* = medium
*Cut Length* = medium
*Ingredients* = "matured virginias, orange-red, shag-cut cake"

*Evaluated Aspects scale of 0-4:*
*Appearance* (package): 3 - slightly dented 50g tin from '01... 
*Appearance *(tobacco): 3 - broken flake, some big chunks, some medium, some small. mostly dark, near black, very few bright speckles.
*Condition *(humidity level): 3 - i just popped the tin, so a little moist, but not as much as normal.
*Smell*: 3 - that strong ketcup smell, could be intoxicating if you love the McC VA tin smell.
*Packing *(easy to difficult): 2 - not a fan of the packing quality of McC broken flakes, but it's best to rub out the entire tin after opening before it dries itself out and is no longer able to be rubbed.
*Lighting *(easy to difficult): 2 - well, i always struggle with these broken flakes. it was still a little moist, and i'm sure that didn't help... about mid-bowl, it kept going on its own
*Taste *(beginning): 3 - fairly tangy VAs, that's about it. 
*Aroma *(beginning): 3 - i don't have a clue, but since it's not latakia pipe tobacco, it can't be bad.
*Taste *(halfway): 3 - tiny bit of bite, no harshness, stoonger tangy VAs with a large hint of smokeyness in the background.
*Aroma *(halfway): 3 
*Taste *(end): 3 - same as above.
*Aroma *(end): 3 - same as above.
*Consistency of taste*: 4 - i don't know if i want it to be consistant or not, this changed a bit from top to bottom, which keeps my interest. now if it was consistantly a bad flavor, i'd have problems.
*Consistency of aroma*: 3 - i can only assume. 
*Combustion*: 2 - it's that damn McC broken flake, a bit too moist right now, so many re-lights until mid bowl, and even then, a few more. 
*Humidity during smoke*: 3 - freshly popped tin, so a little moist, had to run a cleaner through a few times.
*Tongue irritations*: 3 - a tiny bit.
*Throat irritation*: 4 - ??? none.
*Stomach irritation*: 4 - ??? again, never heard of this.
*Satisfaction of smoke*: 3 - fighting to keep that damn moist McC broken flake going, otherwise a nice smoke.
*After-taste*: 3 - solid. 
*Smell to others* (around you): 4 - i can only assume, it's a pipe, and it's VAs, gotta smell nice, unless they're an anti-smoking nazi.
*quality-price rapport*: 4 - top notch in quality, and very easy on the wallet if bought online.

*Impressionistic Evaluation (choose one):*
__this is one of the best... blah, blah, blah.... (8 pts)
_X_i wouldn't mind paying for it... blah, blah, blah.... (6 pts)
__only if someone gave me a tin, etc (4 pts)
__i don't like it, but can understand other may (2 pts)
__one of the worst tobacs i've ever smoked (0 pts)

*TOTAL SCORE OUT OF 100:* 77 (wow, that low?)

my own BS comments freeform style: well, it's not bad at all, but it doesn't sing to me. it gets low marks because i struggle with the McClellands broken flakes, and this was opened 2 minutes before i packed it. i know, how smart of me. to be honest, i'm not done with the bowl yet, i'm just at the mid-point, it was a very large bowl, my Pipa-Croci "nutsack" pipe. right about mid-bowl, the flavors melded into a nice tangy VA with a nice deep smokey background... 
maybe after a few days of the tin being opened, it might bring some more flavors to the front that the moist nature is keeping muted.


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## havana_lover (Feb 15, 2007)

sounds like a great smoke with tons of flavor.. 

One question: smell to others, smell nice unless they're a nazi. 

what do you mean nazi? I dont think your labeling anybody but being German this kind makes me perk up..

thanks for the review. :tu


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

havana_lover said:


> sounds like a great smoke with tons of flavor..
> 
> One question: smell to others, smell nice unless they're a nazi.
> 
> ...


sorry, i meant "anti-smoking nazi", a term used here for someone who is hell bent on exterminating anyones rights to enjoy smoking pipes/cigars/cigarettes.
not meant to be anything negative toward Germans - it's a negative toward the ppl who have a problem with smokers in general.

now my question: do you smoke pipes?


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## havana_lover (Feb 15, 2007)

Oh alright thanks for clearing that up. I have heard of condo nazi's so the ref is the same.. 

again thanks for the review, Ill have to check my B&M and see if I can get some..


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## Alyks (Jun 2, 2007)

Now that is what I call a thorough review. I think I might have to copy this style for my next review.


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

Alyks said:


> Now that is what I call a thorough review. I think I might have to copy this style for my next review.


i forgot who posted the style, maybe root, but i have used it a handful of times and had been thinking of revising it a little bit for CS usage, taking out some things that i think don't fuggin matter (like the looks of the tin?? who cares.)


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## solafid3 (Jul 4, 2006)

Nice review, since I keep randomly buying alot of VAs I'll make sure to mark this one off the list.


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## Guest (Oct 15, 2007)

IHT said:


> *i forgot who posted the style, maybe root*, but i have used it a handful of times and had been thinking of revising it a little bit for CS usage, taking out some things that i think don't fuggin matter (like the looks of the tin?? who cares.)


Not me. I'm a flowery writer and not as scientific as that.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

Greg:

Try #25. One of my favorite Virginias and in regular rotation


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

*UPDATE:* i didn't have time to post this last night, and i'm pretty busy today... but, i smoked the last half of that bowl on the drive home from work yesterday and it's a totally different animal. WAY BETTER after it was DGT'd. the flavor was "deep" and smokey, it had some character to it, it grew some fuggin nuts is what it did. before it was a little lifeless, but after aging in my office for 3 hours, it really "matured" into a decent smokey and tangy, i want to say "heavy" smoke.

so, it would move up the charts a bit, surely crack into the 80s, after the DGT.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

tell'in you Greg...try the #25. Try to find some with a bit of age on it. Scored a few tins from Smoker's Haven from '02. This is an excellent replacement for Red Ribbon....it has that deep sweetness to it.


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## ToddziLLa (Oct 17, 2005)

Bruce said:


> tell'in you Greg...try the #25. Try to find some with a bit of age on it. Scored a few tins from Smoker's Haven from '02. This is an excellent replacement for Red Ribbon....it has that deep sweetness to it.


No way! That shop is right up the road from me.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

Todd; You need to stop by there and introduce yourself to Premel. Nice guy!
And while you are there, please take a look around for some old tins of #25 for me. I would appreciate it!


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

i continue to smoke this every couple of days on my drive home from work.
it's starting to produce more robust flavors, not biting at all... 

would i buy more, which is the real test for me? yep, i prolly would, if i found a good price on an older tin (like this one from '01).

i'm really glad i rubbed the fluck outta this stuff after i popped the top though. that mcc broken flake is a muther to pack if you let it dry out too much.


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